A guest arriving at a Greek home should expect an overwhelming array of traditional welcoming treats that will be presented upon their arrival, from coffee and cookies, to cakes, homemade liqueurs, loukoumi and more. But there’s one sweet something that has long been linked with hospitality and welcoming in any proper, traditional Greek home: glyko tou koutaliou, or “spoon sweet,” a type of fruit preserve whose roots go way back to ancient times.
For centuries, preservation was a necessary part of the harvest – it was the only way to make excess fresh fruits and vegetables last for as long as possible. Based on historic references, we know that the most common preservation methods included sun-drying fruits and vegetables or preserving them in either honey or grape molasses (petimezi), which usually involved first boiling the fruit.
The ancient Greeks made something called melimilon (μελίμηλον): quince boiled in wine and then preserved in honey. It was through making this dish that pectin – a key ingredient in marmalade making – was discovered. Later, with the arrival of sugar to this side of the world and the gradual decrease of its price, preservation in sugar syrup begun.
